Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and... Reupholster?

Did you know that the 4th largest contributor to landfills is discarded furniture? We didn't until we stumbled upon an article from Natural Home magazine's archives about the lost art of reupholstering...

The article is from way back in 2001, but the facts remain the same: reupholstering furniture is a fantastic way to keep things out of the trash (and to stop the endless cycle of buying and dumping IKEA sofas).

The article makes two very important points:

1) Yes, reupholstering might cost more than just replacing a piece of furniture, but you'll most likely end up with something of a higher quality.2) And, when you have a piece of furniture reupholstered you get to choose the materials and fabrics that go into it.

The article follows Tim Newman, owner of Finishing Touch Upholstery in Lafayette, Colorado, through every step as he reupholsters a Victorian rocker. Pretty fascinating.